snodger

Thanks for the input, I figured the companies wouldn't want to make it easy to figure out which one is "the best" as it might impact thier sales. I've been pondering this issue as I consider replacing my mid 80's synthetic bag with a nice fluffy down bag. Seems like it's a delicate balance between keeping liquid out and letting out the vapor. The debate raging around inside my overly analytical mind are like this: A feather friends bag w/epic sounds like its highly breathable, and durable, but is its water resistance enough to keep the down dry over multiple nights of frost? No questions here with quality or service. The exped "welded" bags with pertex endurance are interesting. This option is a bit worrysome as I don't know much about the company or its products. They advertise them as waterproof but I wouldn't necessarily want to drop that much $ on new technology. Well actually its not that new is it? Mountain Hardware had some welded bags a few years back- anyone know anything about them? And whats the skinny on the endurance fabric, is it a membrane, dwr coating, or what? Any then lately I've been thinking about getting a lightweight bag cover made of epic or event. This could relace the emergency space blanket bag I carry and double as a winter bag cover as needed. Probably cheaper to buy a REI bag and a cover than to buy a top line down bag with wpb fabric. Buying at REI would mean I could always return it if I wasn't happy with the performance. So can you believe the marketing when they say "waterproof"? Is it up to each company to decide what constitutes waterproofness?

Hey Ride, Since you seem to have some inside knowledge, perhaps you can help with some more info. I'd love to see a comparison of the various WB fabrics out there. Some quantifiable numbers of water resistance versus breathabilty would allow you to compare actual experience with lab results and perhaps make better decisions about whats bullshit marketing and whats real. So have you ever seen a source like that or do you have to get tech reports from each vendor?

Here's some pictures from a site you should bookmark. The trailhead parking lot: and the goods: all from: "Turns all Year"

Here's your pic: As some one told me a month agoyou should right click on the picture in the gallery then click properties and use the url shown there to get the picture to show in the post. Sure seems like this procedure should be in the FAQs or have a sticky note somewhere!!??

Nice picture Waz but it really makes it look smaller than it is. We had a great view from the base o the cliff over to the right - shoulda took a shot of you - but I was fight'n a hang over and not feeling too great. The picture I'm trying to post below give a good view except theres no reference for size- how tall you think that thing was? Here is NYC007 on said pillar: Pretty sure thats H202 in lean mean conditions naw, thats definetly in Pewee's playground, heres a picture I took from down on the road it give a better idea of the size: Hey Gary when (and what) is those pictures from?

Last week Iwas usuing that feature to get forcasts for Banks lake. I'd have to say it was resonably accurate, the conditions were a bit scrambled (sunny when it was forcast to be cloudy etc) but the temps were pretty close. I was mostly watching the lows and the actuals were within 5-7 degrees of forcast, I think. In the days prior to the trip it was interesting to watch the forcast change, the forcast thursday low changed from something like 5 degrees on monday to -17 on tuesday morning - So it pays to check one last time as you leave.

Hmm, I knew I was having problems reconciling the guidebooks with the actual routes but was fairly sure that was Zenith - my picture in the gallery is from the north side and all the published pictures seem to be from the south... Anyway thanks to Mark on the correction; any thoughts on whether or not the lines will grow any more this season, or will this warm weather just burn em down?

Probably not long for this world- it's 55 degrees here in SE Portland at 11pm!!

I 'm trying to post pictures from a couple of days ago, if they aren't here check the ice gallery. Well couldn't figure out how to get the pictures here so here's a description of what we saw. As already mentioned above it seems like most of the bigger climbs aren't quite in yet. From the road champagne looks good but is only barely down, perhaps those with more experience would consider it do-able, but not me. Even Cowgirls get the blues looked thin, and sometime between tuesday and thurs. a large hanging curtain on the left side fell off. On thurs. when we left the cable was still about 10' from touching down but there is a nice looking climb (I thought H2o2, but not sure) right off the road about a half mile down from the cable. We hiked up to The emerald and its maybe half way down. The best bet seems to be pewee's playground, varied lines and some cool looking columns. On the right side is a group of four closely spaced pillars that I thought looked pretty nice. As Wazzu mentioned above we climbed both trotsky's lines and half our group braved death from above at the punch bowl. I really enjoyed the short upper section of Trotsky's Folly- just perfect for my first lead, highly recommended for a bit of fun. Hey Wazzu, we were wishing we had the skills and balls to try that column you were on by the way is "More ice" the line thats just down from the Cable? I was thinking that was H2o2- but my reading of the guidebook maps was off a bit all week. We also hiked up to the beer bottle flows and as best i could tell Bavarian Dark and Soda Pop were in but thin and rainer light was barely there'

Climb'n and drink'n just what a road trip should be! In my book the only thing missing would be a little pyromania (no, not def leppard) - nothing like burning shit up to soothe the drunkn soul... If this TR doesn't give people a woody they must be dead; or gym rats. Way to go, spying and flying sounds incredible- a ten on the surrealism scale. So how long was the drive from PDX?

No Photo's? the technicolor yawn is always worth a few laughs - as long as you're watching, not performing! By the way, why isn't there a puking gremlin?

mascon, try expireing your cookies (at your home page click on 'maintanence' and go from there) it worked for me when I had that probem...

next thing ya know there'll be guys in dresses on mother's day.

The word seems to be out: check the latest 'Couloir' mag - decent article covers Diamond.

I was in Montreal River Harbor. and although I didn't see anything pink, he kinda fits the rest of the description. Seems his claim to fame is a Canadian expedition to south america 15 -20 years years ago... I had fun and learned a bit, but was wondering about the wisdom of some of the things he was teaching. So Dru, got any more info on the horizontal offset for screws? AT your first post I was kinda scratching my head, but after you explained about the loading of the ice and how it shears off it seems to make sense.

Well actually we would put in the first screw right about head height off in the direction the route went, then go down to about waist height and set the anchor. The couple of times I tried this out it wasn't that hard to set the screw up high, my problem was taking too long to get the anchor set. At first I was trying to do it all one handed hanging from my left tool, until I said screw it and had my belayer take and I hung to set the anchor. The upper screw then acted as a turning point for belaying the second from the anchor, after which the second was pre-clipped to head out on lead- if he fell before setting a piece he wouldn't fall directly onto the anchor. The one thing that seems strange in all of this is belaying the leader straight from the anchor. I think I'd rather have to bit of 'give' a harness belay allows. And I'll probably use a screamer on that first piece off the anchor as there won't be much rope out to cushion a fall. As far as clipping a tool, for some reason that always seems like a desperate, back up kinda thing. Yeah, I realize that the tools are what I'm hanging off while climbing, but seeing them as part of the anchor has caused my sphincter to ratchet down a notch or two. Not necessarily a rational reaction, but... And Layton I agree about the BD screws, you'd think they could modify the hanger to allow two biners. Guess that just makes the grivels that much more desireable. I started ths thread cause I figured I'd probably be changing my anchor technique from that learned from this guide, the only problem was I never made it back on ice again last year and was looking for ideas. So thanks for all the input.

So did anyone get a look into the '1c' gully? After reading of the recent activity on the north face over the last few weeks, I was wondering how much ice there might be in there. It's sure a fun way to finish off the south side.

Well you guys brought up a few things I wasn't really thinking of; my big concern was that in my very limited experience its been hard enough to set two screws and figured it would be best to simplify matters . I've always thought the 'magic x' system was pretty cool (its f'ing magic man!) but your point about shock loading is well taken. And Dru, thats the first I've heard of the vertical alignment- I'd love to see what the fractures look like after a test to failure, was there any suggestions about how far apart vertically? The guide I was climbing with isn't local. Last Christmas I was in the midwest and went up into Ontario to go climbing. This guy ran a guide service in an area where he had pioneered most of the ice routes. As far as I know he isn't accredited as there was no sign of it in his advertising or diplomas on the wall... As I had only seen people belaying the second from the anchor, I asked why he was set on always belaying this way. He said it was in order to easily escape the belay. Since it's so cold up there (highs of below zero the 4 days I was there) he thought the belayer might need to tie off an injured leader and try to rescue him or get help before he froze- seemed to make some sence but also made me wonder about the downside of this technique. One good thing I learned from him was to first put in a screw above the belay stance; for pro while setting the anchor, as the first piece when leading on the next pitch, and my favorite, for hanging off when you get pumped and freaked while trying to get the anchor set up!

The 'directional anchors' thread earlier this week reminded me of a nagging question I've had since climbing with a guide last January. His method of setting a hanging belay was to set two screws about chest high and thread two runners through and clip in with a locker through a twisted loop thus forming an equalized anchor. Now heres where I start wondering... then he would add another screw lower down and clip that to the equalized runners forming a three point equalized anchor. When asked about it he said this was necessary to avoid being pulled up out your stance and it was generally good to have redundancy. So heres my question: Lacking anything above your belay point which you'd not want to hit while getting jerked upward, isn't the third ice screw unecessary? I can understand a guide needed to be extremely careful and perhaps being very redundant, but how many of you would double up your runners and add a third directional screw? Another thing this guy did that perhaps made me question things was that he instucted his clients to always belay from the anchor- which seemed weird- I would think that with ice screws you'd want the dynamics of a harness belay as opposed to the more static anchor belay?

i have no ethical problem chopping a small step to stand sideways on for placing pro.

I bought g-rides late last season (once they went on sale) and LOVE them! After a few seasons of using koflach lace up boots I was all set to get get a pair of light weight boots (ie scarpa lazers or garmont g-lites) but when I went to buy, the only boots still in stock that would fit were the g-rides. I was all set to blow off the purchase as I thought they would be too much boot for my needs when the salesman related that ever since he got g-rides he left his lazers in the closet. For a tall performance boot they tour/hike very well. Of course they are more clunky than climbing boots, but with the therm a form liner they are cushy on my feet. No blisters at all! And they ski soooo much better- never believed it when people said you had to have real AT boots for B/C skiing- but I'm a believer now. Summary: Garmont boots Rock!

And at the Hollywood in PDX on Oct. 6!

Empty gatorade jugs are cheap and easy to get. Take the money you save from not buying a nalgene and spend it on good booze - try Appleton Estate or Barbancort Rum, or if you want high test go for the 100+ proof (I forget how strong it is) Black Seal . Life's too short to dink cheap booze- unless thats all there is...

Never done it myself and 'oregon high' doesn't recommend it in late season, but the sunshine route looked pretty nice last friday from the Langille crags area. Maybe someone with experience on the route will chime in...

Good to hear from you wolfs. We had heard from a couple of sources that it s easy to get into the wrong drainage once below tree line. But it sounds like its not a real dense forest? Usually I feel pretty comfortable with route finding, but on our first leg of our trip, on Mt Mcgloughlin, I ignored my spider sense and followed my buddy too far right and we ended up hiking a few extra miles to the car, hence the reluctance on Shasta. But anyway it was nice getting to hidden valley, and next time I'll try Hotlum-Wintun.